Criminal defense attorney Bernarda Villalona advised President Joe Biden’s son Hunter to plead guilty at his federal gun trial commencing on Monday because of the formidable evidence against him.
Hunter Biden is facing three gun charges Special Counsel David Weiss brought in September, which include providing false statements and possessing a gun while he was aware of being addicted to drugs. Villalona on “CNN News Central” said Weiss’ evidence against Biden is “strong” and because of the potential jail sentence he could face, pleading guilty may be his “best” course of action. (RELATED: ‘Every Angle… Hurts Joe Biden’: Hunter’s Latest Stunt May Have Thrown His Dad Into A Messy Tangle, Strategists Say)
WATCH:
“Unfortunately, the government’s evidence is very strong,” Villanola said. “With the government’s evidence, number one, being strong, also contemplating the witnesses that are going to testify against you. Do you want to put your ex-wife through this? Do you want to put in this your brother’s widow? Do you want to put her through this? Do you want … your dirty laundry aired out?”
“So these are things to consider,” she continued. “And also, because you’re facing jail, it‘s not positive that you will get a jail sentence, but because there’s a possibility of a jail sentence it’s likely if you plead guilty, you can try to avoid that because there’ll be mitigation that a judge would take into account. So in a case like this, you know, as defense attorneys it’s all about mitigating exposure and in a case like this it would be in his best interest because of the strength of the case for him to plead guilty.” (RELATED: Hunter Biden’s Federal Gun Charges Trial Begins With Jury Selection)
WILMINGTON, DELAWARE – JUNE 03: Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, joined by his his wife Melissa Cohen Biden, arrives to the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building on June 03, 2024 in Wilmington, Delaware. Biden is standing trial for felony gun charges. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Prosecutors in May revealed evidence they plan to introduce to prove Biden lied regarding his drug use on a 2018 federal gun purchase form, including 75 pages of text messages outlining his addiction struggles. The messages included in the filing show arguments regarding him getting sober, talking about drug use and photos of drugs or Biden smoking crack.
“I was sleeping on a car smoking crack on 4th street and Rodney,” Biden wrote in an Oct. 14, 2018 message. (RELATED: Comer, Jordan To Begin Contempt Of Congress Proceedings Against Hunter Biden After He Defies Subpoena)
Defense attorney Randy Zelin earlier on “CNN News Central” on Monday suggested Biden’s defense strategy of denying his knowledge he was a drug addict will compel him to take the stand, and that doing so could contribute to a conviction. “Good luck with that,” Zelin said, adding he believes a jury will convict Biden, but that an appellate court will likely overturn it later.
Biden is also facing nine federal tax charges, including tax evasion and tax fraud, with Weiss finding he allegedly “engaged in a four-year scheme to not pay at least $1.4 million” for tax years 2016 through 2019, according to the indictment. The president’s son’s lawyers appealed the case, but Judge Mark Scarsi denied it, with the trial being slated to commence on June 20.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
